Deception
"Deception" 'is the sixth and finale episode of ''Battlefield, the seventh season, and the 140th episode overall. It was told and narrated by Rhys, premiering on February 27, 2015. In the finale episode, the Mission ends as the four teams discover the solution to the hidden riddle. Meanwhile, in the real world, the motives for the elaborate test are revealed. The Episode BLUE BAYOU ONE YEAR AGO Arthur Marie sipped coffee at his usual table. He ate alone, as usual. He wasn't a lonely man necessarily but ever since his wife passed, Arthur found solace in solitude. It left him alone with his thoughts and, as an optimistic person, he found his thoughts comforting. "Anything else for you tonight, Artie?" the head waiter and close friend asked. Arthur shook his head. "No, thank you, Gator." Wally Froggat had reportedly earned his nickname Gator from his Florida college roots. Arthur and Gator had spent many nights chatting, far into closing time. To Arthur, Gator was like a brother. "I'm going to close up early tonight," Gator said, "because of the Gallifreyan murderess." "Have they still not found her?" Arthur asked, gathering his coat and hat. "Nope," Gator said, "Apparently she escaped on foot, taking something with her. Deeba Gallifreyan will be making a radio address in a half hour." Gator swept dishes into a tray. "Care to join me?" Arthur nodded eagerly. He had heard precious little about the attack on Gallifrey Estate. It seemed impossible! The guards at the Estate were compared to the Swiss Guard of the Vatican. Impenetrable. Gator locked the cafe's doors and started cleaning dishes. He switched on the radio for Arthur. "Oh Artie?" Gator called from the kitchen, "Got a letter for you here. Strange, really. But the mailman insisted it was yours." Arthur went to the kitchen. Gator's head appeared in the window. "It's on the sink counter," he said, "Red envelope." Arthur found the envelope on the sink. It was strange, he thought. Though it wasn't a secret Arthur frequented the cafe, it wasn't advertised either. The post office should have no reason to bring his mail here. He flipped over the envelope. It had a familiar seal on it. MJENK. Arthur had always supported his daughter, Anna, in her endeavors. Saving lives, protecting the kingdom. She was always happy. She had been for years. Until the members started dying. One by one. Almost one year after the next. Whatever was happening, Arthur was forbidden to know. And frankly, he didn't want to. He just hoped he wouldn't have to bury his daughter's casket. "What kind of mailman was it?" Arthur called to Gator. "Um," Gator said, polishing a mug, "odd guy. Didn't look like he was with the Post Office. He kind of seemed to eager to be a mailman, you know? He only brought that letter. Insisted he was in the right place. I told him where you lived, but he said it was urgent you got it tonight." Arthur's skin crawled. Who the hell was it? Who had come for him? Arthur slit open the envelope. It could either be from Koala, Anna, or a new recruit. Arthur knew of Stratagem 2. More importantly, he knew of Stratagem 3. And he hoped it never came to that. Ever. The radio crackled and VMK's anthem began. Arthur quickly replaced the unread letter and turned up the volume. Gator burst out of the kitchen and sat next to Arthur. "People of VMK," President Amy Solomon said, "tonight, the VMKDI can report that there has been limited success in the apprehension and capture of the unnamed suspect who fled Gallifrey Estate last night. But with us tonight, in perhaps the catalyst of the hunt, Deeba Gallifreyan, one of the few survivors, will give a detailed description of the assassin. We ask the public to aid in the investigation and call the hotline 1-800-FIND-HER if she is seen. Images will soon be dispersed once they are available." "VMK," Deeba Gallifreyan said, taking the microphone. Her voice was soft. Arthur sighed. Poor girl. First her great-grandmother, then her grandmother, parents, and brother. It was unimaginable. "The woman who came to Gallifrey Estate was evil, treacherous, and wicked. She is essentially a walking demon. I implore you to use caution as you leave your homes. And inside your homes, keep your doors locked, your windows bolted." Deeba took a breath. It was shaky. "The woman went by Marie. She had auburn hair, a tight smile, and small stature. She was very short, actually. She...uh...had a round face and for the most part, deceptively pleasant features. But these were deceptive indeed. She has succeeded in the deepest level of deception. I..." Deeba paused. Arthur's heart was hammering. Auburn hair? Marie...? Short? It sounded like Anna. "The woman said she was from Frontierland," Deeba said. Arthur jumped. Gator cast him a concerned glance. "You feeling okay?" Arthur didn't say anything. He took the red envelope from the table and went to a corner of the cafe. He removed the small sheet of paper. It was very light. It fluttered in the breeze. Arthur unfolded the paper. He inhaled. He grabbed his chest. There were only four words, printing in beautiful gold lettering. "It was me. Nos." Arthur didn't want to believe it. But he immediately squeezed the letter. It crumpled, dissolved, and floated away forever. He did the same to the envelope. Anna was innocent, that much he knew. But he had to follow up with her. Gator gave him a curious stare as he donned his coat and hat and ran out the door, shouting a bogus lie about leaving the cat door open. Nos. New Orleans Square. NEW ORLEANS SQUARE Arthur darted out of the cafe. He could hear Deeba's voice in every household. As every person in VMK turned against his daughter. Who had fought in secret for their freedoms. "Fight for Gallifreyan!" Deeba was saying on the radio. Arthur scanned the plaza. He saw a teal streak of paint on a nearby house. There was a catflap. A perfect place for Anna to hide. "Fight for VMK!" Robert ran across the street. "Fight for me." He never saw the bus. He just remembered feeling crushing pain, a sudden roar, deafening silence, and then soaring through the air. His last memory was of Deeba. And it would be his first when he would be resurrected one year later in the Necromancer's arena. TEAL Anna peered out of the small window in the dark room. She saw Dad exit the cafe. He looked so flustered. She smiled at the thought. He was probably confused as hell. He noticed the paint streak on the white house and ran over. And then the bus. Anna wanted to shout, to scream for him to stop, but by the time her mouth even found the strength to open, Dad was flying through the sky. He landed facedown the pavement thirty feet away. His body was a tangle of bone. Anna would never forget the pain of having to leave her father dead on the street to avoid her own capture. Capture that would result in the collapse of VMK itself. The Necromancer had intertwined himself in the Xerxes crisis and for that he would reap the punishment. Anna swore on her father she would bring both Xerxes and the Necromancer down. TSEREVE PRESENT DAY Anna kept screaming. And screaming. And screaming. Dad was alive. Resurrected. Dying. All at once. He was here. In this test or whatever. How could this happen? Deeba was going crazy. She was shaking Anna, trying to stop the screams, but Anna couldn't stop. Her voice was giving out. "Help me!" Deeba said desperately to no one. Anna stopped screaming. Deeba jumped, shocked. But then Anna saw him. At the door. DAD! Anna started screaming again. "Oh my God!" Deeba said, "HELP!" Anna ran for the door. "Where are you going?" Deeba called, "Come back! Wait for me! Who is Robert J. Logan?" Anna ran out of Tsereve. CLOUD VERANDA Deeba remembered the image. It had flashed once with a name under it: Robert J. Logan. She had never seen the man before. But Anna clearly had. She kept screaming. But apparently Top Hat had had a lengthy discussion with her. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good. Anna collapsed. Her screaming stopped. "What's wrong?" Deeba asked, shaking all over. Anna panted and flipped over on her back. "My Dad," she gasped, "He's...alive...or resurrected...the Necro's last pill." Deeba said nothing. It was a lot to take in. So if he's been resurrected... "And he's in here. With us." Deeba's eyes widened. "Then he..." "He could die. Painfully. He could kill us. Who knows where his mind is...?" Deeba's heart hammered. "Why..." she stammered, "Why were you screaming?" Anna coughed. "I don't know. It felt like I had to. Top Hat told me to summon him. What does..." Anna stopped. In seconds, she was scrambling across the veranda toward the beanstalk. She flung herself at the first leaf. STORYBOOKLAND Simon and Ethan ran after Robert. He was insane! Or something...he hadn't stopped running since his ears perked in the Bazaar. What had he heard? "ANNA!" he was screaming up ahead. He stopped at the beanstalk and looked up. "ANNA!" he cried again. "Anna!" Ethan said. Simon stared at Ethan. "What? You too?" Ethan shook his head and pointed. "I'm not kidding! It's Anna!" Simon looked up and felt his heart fill with happiness. Anna and Deeba were descending the stalk. Deeba landed first and Simon ran to her, embracing and kissing her relentlessly. Anna dropped next. She looked frightened. "Anna..." Robert said. "DAD!" Anna cried and threw her arms around Robert's neck. Ethan and Simon dropped their jaws. "Oh." "Oh..." Then everyone began talking. Where they had been, what they had seen, Top Hat, the hallucinations, the Yeti, the Red Bandit, the scrolls. Simon removed his own scroll and showed them the letters. "ER," Anna read, "We have WV." "Maybe it forms a word," Ethan said, "Werv. Verw. Erwv..." "I think we need to find the others," Simon said, "but how many others are there?" "Four teams," Deeba said suddenly, "I remember Top Hat listed them. So eight letters total. Koala and Mets must be in here somewhere..." "But where can they be?" Ethan said. Anna and Robert continued to talk feverishly. Robert seemed to want clarification on the Gallifreyan murders. His face softened immensely when she told him it was not her who burned the house. He then started explaining how he only had three months left revived. "It's painful," he said, "I'm not supposed to be alive. What's dead should stay dead." Anna nodded. "Come on," Ethan said, "We have to find the others." CASTLE FORECOURT "I don't understand it," Deeba said, "Where is the celebration?" "It's not in this world," Ethan said, "this is a simulation." "This way," Simon said, pointing to the Castle with his free hand, his other hand entwined around Deeba's. The five moved toward the drawbridge. But before they could cross it, they bumped into something. A wall. An invisible wall. "What..." Anna said, placing her hands out, "Why can't we get inside?" Arthur Marie shrugged. "Maybe there's a group inside. They can't have any assistance." "So we should stake it out?" Simon said, "Wait until they finish?" "What else can we do?" Deeba said. Ethan spoke now, "We should find the circumference. Which areas are blocked off. There's no guarantee they're coming out this exit." "OW!" Everyone turned. Arthur had bumped into another wall on the opposite side of the Forecourt. He rubbed his nose. "There's a wall over here too!" It occurred to Deeba in a second. She ran toward Frontierland, hands out. She hit a wall. She moved to the left, following the invisible barrier around the plaza until she was back where she started. "They're not blocked in," she said, "We are." THREE HOURS LATER Deeba laid against Simon. He was breathing lightly. She watched as Anna and her father continued to talk. Ethan was pacing again. He was probably trying to figure out where Mets was. Deeba was happy for the two of them; Mets and Ethan were a match made in heaven. She knew Mets would get his partner out. Though she could remember four teams, she couldn't remember who was on which team. Was Mets with Koala? Or someone else? Who were the other two anyway? Was Robert...Arthur Marie one of the teammates? He said he wasn't, but no one else knew who he was beside Anna. Deeba leaned back and kissed Simon's chin. He purred jocularly. Deeba sat up and stretched. And then someone screamed. Someone behind her, back in Storybookland had screamed. Everyone was standing at once, staring with tension at the storybook. Then a fizzling sound and everything flashed. Deeba put out her hand; it brushed nothing. The walls were gone. "Should we investigate?" Deeba said. "Wait!" Ethan said, "Look!" Two figures were moving out of Storybookland into the Forecourt. "KOALA!" Anna cried, running over. And the second person was... Deeba's eyebrows furrowed. "AMY?!" Amy Solomon looked exhausted. She and Koala embraced the rest of the group. Anna introduced her father to Amy. Koala, who had recognized him, was equally petrified to see he had been revived. "Let me see your scroll!" Ethan said, taking the others. "DD," Simon said, "WVERDD..." "We're still missing two letters," Anna said, "Mets and..." "Nick," Amy said, "Nick must be in here with us." "Hey," Arthur said, at the other end of the plaza, "This wall is still in place." The street leading into Main Street was indeed blocked. "Wait it out...AGAIN?!" Ethan said exasperated. Deeba groaned inwardly. She really, REALLY did not want to wait longer. It had already been nine hours. Why the hell was it talking the others so long? "15 hours remaining," Simon said, echoing Deeba's thoughts. "Until what...?" Koala said. No one said anything. "Wait," Deeba said. She started thinking, "What do the tasks have in common?" "They're hard," Amy said. "No," Deeba said, starting to smile, "We had to find compassion, leadership, and remembrance. They're virtues. And to find them...we needed to dig into VMK's past. Erut Nevda, Fantasyland, Tsereve..." "The Gingerbread Empire is missing," Simon said excitedly. "Exactly," Deeba said, "so maybe that's where they're headed." "But which district?" Koala asked, "There's hundreds." "But only four are preserved," Ethan said, "1, 11, 19, and Icicle Creek." "Then we start at 19," Deeba said, "since it's closest, and we move in until we reach Icicle Creek." ICICLE CREEK TWELVE HOURS LATER Mets and Nick heard a pounding noise. Like someone hitting a door or wall. They left the Congress building. Mets gasped. Deeba, Simon, Koala, Amy, Anna, some dude, and of course, Ethan, were pounding on an invisible wall at the entrance to Icicle Creek. But as they watched, the wall dissipated and everyone swarmed in. "Your letters!" Anna demanded. Mets and Nick stared, suddenly realizing who the old man was. "What..." Nick said. "NO TIME!" Koala said, "We have less than three hours! What are your letters?" "W-we only have one," Nick said, "A." "WVERDDA!" Deeba said. Everyone got quiet as they tried to piece the word together. "Hardly any vowels," Simon said, "Are you sure you guys didn't have two?" "Positive," Mets said, "Maybe it's an ambigram?" "A what?" Amy said. Mets shook his head. "Nevermind." Mets stared at the letters. Verda...verd...erda...werd....drew...rewd...ward...edder...ed... "Edward!" Mets blurted. Everyone stopped talking. "That leaves a V," Deeba said after a few seconds. Mets cocked his head. Seriously? Did she not get it yet? "Edward...V! Edward the Fifth!" Koala said. Anna broke into a wide smile. "So we solved it!" "Yes!" Amy said, "Where's Hatman?" Everyone looked around. Mets scanned the skies. Nothing was happening. He thought some more. "What exactly were we solving for?" he asked. Ethan shrugged. "Who put us here?" "Exactly," Mets said, "Edward V did not put us here." Simon opened his mouth, then closed it. Arthur Marie spoke now, "But maybe something else did..." Mets saw Arthur was staring behind him. Mets turned. The Edwardian Congress building seemed to be staring at them. "The Edwardian Congress..." Mets said. And in a blink, he was gone. Anna stared. Mets had vanished. Disappeared as if an apparition. What... "The Edwardian Congress," she said. And as if being sucked into a vacuum, everything went dark. Deeba caught on. "It's a password," she said, "you say the words and you get out!" "The Edwardian Congress," Ethan and Simon said at once. They were gone. Robert and Koala went next. "The Edwardian Congress," Deeba said proudly. And the world spun twice and it went black. EDWARDIAN CONGRESSROOM SECKLE looked around. They were sitting in the front row of the Edwardian Congress. The Secretary of Main Street, the person in charge when Nicholas is absent, stood in front of them. "They did it," he said breathlessly. There was rustling behind SECKLE. Deeba looked over her chair. The Edwardian Congresspeople were packed at the back of the room, watching with wide eyes. Were they surprised? Excited? Frightened? Deeba looked at her clothes. The red gown she had been wearing for the party was gone. She was wearing jeans and a comfortable T-shirt. What in the literal... "I'm sure you must be very confused," the Secretary said. Deeba nodded with the rest of SECKLE plus Amy and Nick. The Secretary motioned to his head. "Unfortunately, the Mission is not over yet. I must offer you one last challenge." He paused. "I'll explain myself first." He paced across the first row. "Recently, it has come the attention of the Congress that SECKLE has not been able to perform their duties. We considered a vote of no-confidence, but ultimately decided that we would give you one last chance in the form of a test. A test to see how well you'd perform in stressful, confusing circumstances. It goes without saying you all excelled." "So it was just a simulation?" Ethan said, "We couldn't die?" The Secretary sighed. "I do not know the scientific details. I leave those to the Missionaries. You'll meet them soon. However, despite your successes in the Mission, the Congress, and VMK, have felt that it might be best for SECKLE to disband. So, I must offer you a choice." The Secretary placed a purple and white rock in front of each of the eight of them. "You have two options. One: destroy SECKLE and walk away free. Two: Continue SECKLE and face criminal charges." Ethan jumped up. "Criminal charges?!" "Ameliorating death," the Secretary said, "Evasion of taxes, infractions on civil liberties. The list goes on. VMK has been able to turn a blind cheek in the past, but no more. The choice is yours." Amy and Nick stood now. "We aren't members of SECKLE," Amy said. "No, Madam President," the Secretary said, "But I'm afraid this is what you asked for." "I'm sorry?" Amy said, "What do you mean?" "You both asked Congress to consider this vote," the Secretary said, "What I am doing here is on your orders." Amy sat, incredulous. "I don't remember that." The Secretary lowered his head. "I'm afraid the Missionaries took a few memories from you." "WHAT THE LITERAL ####!" Anna screamed, "YOU'RE AFRAID? YOU'RE SORRY? BULLSHIT! WE'VE BEEN RUNNING AROUND IN A #### HOUSE OF HORROR FOR 24 HOURS FOR YOU TO TELL US YOU'RE SORRY?!" "Make the choice now," the Secretary said, "Purple means disband. White means continue." Eight white rocks flew forward. The Secretary took the rocks and placed them on the altar. "Congratulations," he said, "You have successfully completed the Mission." The room faded into white. DARK ROOM Deeba opened her eyes. It was dark. She could hear nothing. She was reclined, staring up at a ceiling. There were a few dim lights. It had been another dream. So this WAS like Inception. She could feel it very clearly now. She didn't know what was different this time, but she was NOT dreaming. She sat up. The room was completely empty. The Edwardian Congress chamber seemed so realistic. This seemed ridiculous. Deeba swung her legs off what she deduced was a sort of gurney and stepped on the floor. She was barefoot. She was wearing a thin medical gown. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. She looked around at the emptiness. Then, the door opened. A woman walked in. She had blonde hair and a sincere, kind smile. Deeba recognized her from the news. "Deeba," she said sweetly, crossing to Deeba, "Please. Sit. You've had a rough 24 hours." "I..." Deeba said, but she couldn't find the words. "I'm Nelly Blythe," the woman said, "You may have seen me on TV." Deeba nodded. "Anyway, I'm here to explain your past day. The others are safe, in case you were wondering. You all successfully completed the Mission. The other seven have their own 'ambassador' if you will. I'm yours." "Ambassador?" Deeba said. Nelly shrugged. "Just to brief you." Deeba sat silently. She didn't want to interrupt this woman. "Recently," Nelly said, "SECKLE has fallen from favor. People have lost faith in your group. Of course, it was never meant to become public..." Deeba sighed loudly. She didn't like being reminded of it. "Amy and Nick approached the Congress, who were also losing faith, and asked them to put forth a motion to create some sort of test to show the public that SECKLE was fully capable of protecting VMK." Deeba gasped. "Were we being...filmed?" Nelly frowned. "Yes, but only for the Congress to observe. The public should not have gained access." Deeba nodded. "Go on." "The man in the top hat is one of VMK's most renowned engineers. He created a simulation that would test the virtues on which SECKLE was founded. Amy and Nick, however, did not want you to be at danger. So they asked the Mailman to donate a serum that would put you in a dream state. The test could then be carried out from there. You were broken into teams, given a difficult task, and if you accomplished it, Congress would have renewed faith. I have to say, it worked." "Did it?" Deeba said, "That's good news, I guess." Nelly smiled. "The pink liquid you drank at the party was what put you in a trance. The statue's explosion was our test to see if you were all hallucinating correctly. As soon as you began stumbling around, we brought you here." Deeba nodded again. Everything made sense...weird sense. "Where did you get Robert J. Logan?" Deeba asked. She frowned. "Or Arthur." "Oh," Nelly said, "When Mets created the serum using parts from his TARDIS, some splintered. We collected what we thought were all the pieces, but one was attracted to Arthur. He was uploaded accidentally and we decided to use him. Jason handled that." "Jason?" Deeba said. "Top Hat," Nelly said. Deeba smiled. "We had to wipe Amy, Nick, and Mets' memories to avoid them remembering the test," Nelly continued, "We were most impressed with your test, Deeba. I've always been very proud of you." Deeba cocked her head. Did they know each other? "Right," Nelly said, "Any questions?" Deeba thought for a moment. Of course, minutes ago, she was inundated with questions. But now? Only a few. "What about the last stage?" Deeba asked. Nelly frowned. "What stage?" "The Edwardian Congress. When we had to choose between destruction and incarceration? Is that going to happen?" Nelly was confused. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, "Last we saw, you said Edwardian Congress and woke up here." Deeba frowned. No...she remembered it. "The Secretary of Main Street was there..." Deeba said, "We had to make a choice." Nelly just stared. She pulled out her phone and was about to dial. But someone screamed. Nelly jumped, startled. She ran into the hallway. Impulsively, Deeba followed. There were eight doors, four on each side. At the far end of the hallway, a revolving door led somewhere else. Were they really inside Gallifrey Castle? Nelly was moving quickly. A girl was screaming behind one of the doors. The door closest to Deeba opened and a man stuck his head out. He was wearing a lab coat. "What is it?" he asked Nelly. Nelly removed a hidden gun from her pants. "Go back inside, David. Keep Nick sedated if necessary." Deeba's mind spun. Sedated? What was happening? Nelly saw Deeba. "Deeba, go back to the room! And I'm not kidding around this time!" This time? Deeba took a few steps back, but then the scream came again. Nelly kicked open the door and ran inside. "Jason?!" she cried. Jason. The Top Hat man. Deeba needed to know. She ran after Nelly. Anna was the one screaming. She was pointing and shouting wildly. Nelly grabbed her arm. "Where is he?" she asked. Anna was crying. "He took him!" she was saying, "He took my Dad!" Who? Deeba thought. The look on Nelly's face was not horror, nor indifference. It was confusion. "Jason took your father?" she said, "Where?" Anna pointed at a syringe on the floor. Droplets of pink were on the needle's tip. Nelly's eyes widened. "Into the Mission..." Nelly told them both to stay put and ran from the room, calling for assistance. Anna picked up the syringe. She gave Deeba a meaningful look. "I won't lose him again," she said. Before Deeba could protest, Anna shoved the needle into her arm. She collapsed. "ANNA!" Deeba cried. She rushed to her friend's side. Anna was out cold. Back into the Mission. Deeba looked at the syringe. There was probably a few drops left... "God I hope neither of them had Hepatitis," she said. She pricked her finger. And the world spun. TIKI TIKI TIKI BEACH Deeba opened her eyes and felt a calm breeze. It was tranquil. She sat up. And then something hit her on the head. She glared at her attacker. It was Top Hat. Everything focused. Arthur Marie was on the beach, tied down. The water was lapping to his chest. He was wriggling. Anna was unconscious in the sand. Above Deeba, Top Hat swung again with a piece of driftwood. Deeba dodged the hit. "You shouldn't have come here!" Top Hat said, "You had nothing to worry about!" "Clearly I did!" Deeba said, pointing at Arthur. She moved backward, toward the ocean. "You passed your test," Top Hat said, "Arthur didn't belong in this world much less this test. I'm doing what has to be done!" "You're going to kill him when he only has three months left to be with his daughter?!" Deeba shouted. "He won't die," Top Hat said, "He'll just fall asleep. He was never alive to begin with. We all knew that." "Who is we?" Deeba said, "You and Nelly?" Top Hat opened his mouth, before donning a sinister smile. "The world has been watching, Deeba," Top Hat said, "Nelly wouldn't have wanted you to know, but I think by coming here you've doomed yourself. Anna as well. I only have one return device." Deeba almost slapped him. "What the literal shit is this. So people HAVE been watching? You filmed us and broadcasted us to every TV?" "Nelly didn't want it, but it's what needed to be done. The people needed to see how you've failed." DARK ROOM Nelly Blythe moved swiftly. The broadcasts had stopped, but not for long. She quickly patched Jason's POV to the cameras. "Everyone will see that!" a specialist said, "He'll be disgraced!" "He'll be dead," Nelly said, "Once I'm through with him. Notify the national guard. SECKLE is in danger. Keep the other six quarantined. There's no guarantee Deeba and Anna will make it out alive. But I swear..." Nelly swallowed hard. "I swear I'll keep her safe. I promised her mother. I promised..." The specialist gave an encouraging smile. Nelly smiled back and uploaded herself into the Mission. For Felicia Gallifreyan. TIKI TIKI TIKI BEACH The water was now coming up to Arthur Marie's chin. Soon, it would envelop his head and kill him. Deeba held her hands out in a protective gesture as Top Hat held his blunt object, ready to bludgeon. "You added the last challenge," Deeba said, "didn't you?" "SECKLE needs to dissolve," Top Hat said, "Now that you and Anna will die here, I can almost guarantee SECKLE will be no more. Simon will be heartbroken. Koala will be devastated. And I win." Deeba stared. The way he talked...it was familiar. Top Hat held a small capsule. "This is my way out of here. Once Robert is dead, I'm gone. And in two hours, the system shuts down. You and Anna die here with him." Top Hat swung the log. Deeba jumped backward, but it connected with her face. She hit the cliff and then crumpled to the sand. Top Hat raised his log to finish the job. "STOP!" Nelly Blythe said, uploading as Top Hat brought the log down. She pushed him over. The log fell inches from Deeba's face. She scrambled to her feet. Nelly was holding a gun to Top Hat. She looked menacing. "Why did you add the Edwardian Congress test?" she demanded. Top Hat pointed angrily at Anna and Deeba. "They can't be trusted! They weren't supposed to pass the tests!" "But they did," Nelly said, "Because they're worthy. But you manipulated the footage and broadcasted it to VMK. You forced them to consider dissolving SECKLE and when they refused, you tried to kill them!" "Wrong!" Top Hat said, "I tried to kill Robert J. Logan. Anna and Deeba are byproducts." Nelly turned the safety off on her gun. "Deeba," Nelly said, "Untie Arthur Marie." Deeba acquiesced, hurrying down to the beach and undoing the ropes. Arthur gasped for breath as water sloshed into his open mouth. Deeba sat him up. He was safe. Nelly moved closer to Top Hat. "You're not a specialist," Nelly said, "I looked you up. You're not there. You have no scientific, psychological, or philosophical skills. You never went to college. Your name is not Jason. So what is it? Who are you?" Top Hat shot a glare at Deeba. Deeba felt the wind go out of her. The eyes. "Andrew Accrue," Top Hat said, "if you must know." Accrue. Cammy Accrue. Andrew Accrue. Top Hat was the Necromancer's brother. He had no scientific skills, just like his brother. Nelly nodded as if she knew that. "Your return device is defunct. I had the team deactivate it. Also, this scene is being broadcasted to millions of VMKers. There is no escape for you, but I am taking Deeba, Anna, and Arthur home." Nelly, without taking her eyes off Andrew Accrue, tossed three devices to Deeba. "Use those," Nelly said, "to send Anna and Arthur back. My team will be waiting for them. Just push the button." Deeba obeyed instantly. She quickly sent Anna and Arthur home. "Nelly," Deeba said, "do we know each other?" Nelly's eyes softened. "I'll tell you when we wake up," she said. Deeba nodded. She wished Nelly luck and pressed her button. The scene dissolved. DARK ROOM Deeba woke up. The room was abuzz. Dozens of people, mostly in white lab coats, were swarming. Anna was over her father, shouting. Doctors were performing CPR. Koala was trying to comfort Anna. "DAD!" Anna was screaming. Nelly Blythe ran into the room, unscathed. She skidded to a halt when she saw Arthur. She barked orders and grabbed a syringe off the table. Deeba moved slowly toward Arthur. Something was wrong. She broke through the crowd and stared down at Arthur. She recoiled in horror. His skin was blue. He had red bumps covering his body. His eyes were rolled back into his head, his tongue out. His hands and arms were swollen. "He's dying," Deeba heard a doctor say, "He ran out of time." "NO! DAD!" Anna screamed, shaking him. Two doctors pulled her away. Nelly sat down next to Arthur. She inserted a syringe into his neck. Deeba watched in amazement. In seconds, his skin color had returned to normal. The red bumps had vanished. His eyes clicked back into place. He blinked. "Everyone out," Nelly said, "Except SECKLE." The doctors and scientists left. Anna, Deeba, Nelly, and Koala remained with Arthur. "Dad," Anna said, "Are you okay?" Arthur chuckled slightly. "I'm dying, Anna. I'm about as okay as Gallifreyan." Deeba felt a pang at that comment. Arthur cast her an apologetic glance. "Anna," Nelly said, "The resurrection pill was exacerbated in Jas--Andrew--Top Hat's simulation. What I gave him took away the pain, but it sped up the process. Your father will be dead in about five minutes." Arthur smiled at his daughter. "I feel fine," he said, "But this time, please, dear God, cremate me." Anna managed a laugh. She took her father's hand and spoke gently to him until he took his last breath. GALLERY Nelly closed the door. She took Deeba's arm. "Let's talk," she said. The two sat on a bench in the grand hall. The castle was empty. The footage Nelly showed the world had had its desired effect; SECKLE had regained faith. "So," Nelly said, "Do you plan to continue SECKLE?" Deeba didn't answer immediately. She wasn't even sure. "Yes," she said finally, "I think so. We do more good than harm. But things will be different." "It's been a turbulent three years for you," Nelly said, "I'm sorry I couldn't have helped you." "So we do know each other?" Deeba said. Nelly smiled. "I wouldn't expect you to remember me," Nelly said, "It's been so long. But your parents used to put you in my care after school. They were busy at work so I would take you around VMK." Deeba thought she may have remembered her. "One day," Nelly said, "I took you to Frontierland. We went to Splash Mountain. I told you not to wander off while I bought us food...but you did wander off. And you got severely injured on the slide..." Deeba perked up. She remembered that...she had broken her leg when she was four years old. "Your mother never forgave me," Nelly said, "I had been so careless...I tried for years to get her trust back, but people don't hand trust back. Not after something like that. I was written out of your life...but I always visited. I became a reporter when you became public enemy number one, just so I could follow you. And then...Amy and Nick came up with the idea for this test and I volunteered to orchestrate it." "We're not related, right?" Deeba said. "Correct," Nelly said with a small giggle, "but you could say I'm your godmother." Deeba smiled. Nelly was indeed almost like a godmother. "So where did Top Hat come into this?" Deeba asked. Nelly groaned. "He was recommended to me by one of the Edwardian Congressmen. Of course, it was AFTER he tried to kill everyone that I learned that that Congressman had been tortured into saying that. Like brother like brother..." "What happened out there?" Deeba said, "on the beach?" Nelly sighed. "I didn't kill him, if that's what you're wondering. I left him there. He's still in there." Deeba stared off. "But he said the simulation will only remain open for two months. Then it shuts down." "He was lying," Nelly said, "The simulation will last until the computer crashes. Which it won't. As you know, though, your body stays here while your mind lives in the simulation. His body has been moved so that if he ever DOES find a way out, he'll wake up somewhere special." "Where?" Deeba asked. RMS PYRAT PRISON The Necromancer's cell door opened. The warden smiled nastily at him. "Hello, freaky. Guess what?" The Necromancer didn't answer. "You're getting a roommate!" the warden said gleefully. The Necromancer lowered his eyebrows. "This is a maximum security prison," he said, "why would you be giving me a roommate?" "Well," the warden said, tossing back her hair, "he isn't really going to be saying much." A gurney was wheeled in. A black top hat rested atop the limp body. Two guards lifted the Necromancer's new roommate and laid him on the cell's one bed. "That's my bed," the Necromancer said. The warden smiled. "You'll have to share." The cell slammed shut. The Necromancer went over and pulled back the sheet on his roommate. He groaned. "Goddamnit, Andrew..." CASTLE FORECOURT ONE WEEK LATER The party was more lavish than the first. Everyone in VMK was invited and Main Street was a massive throng of partygoers. The Forecourt was reserved for VIPs. SECKLE, Amy, Nick, baby Zira, Nelly Blythe, and various other dignitaries danced and celebrated the 80th anniversary of VMK. 80 years ago, on that day, Gallifreyan and Rhys had declared the broken kingdoms of Frontierland, Fantasyland, and the Gingerbread Empire as one. Not one kingdom. Not one empire. But one democratic republic. The years passed. Erut Nevda was reforested. It was annexed. Main Street became a separate land, seceding from Fantasyland, but still remaining in the Virtual Magic Kingdom. The Barons of Orlean relinquished their lands and joined the growing republic. And finally, a charismatic President Amy set her eyes on fulfilling Gallifreyan's legacy by annexing the new frontier: Tomorrowland. The people were celebrating freedom, independence, unity. And something else. Deeba, Ethan, Simon, Koala, Mets, and Anna had met in the Library and agreed unanimously that it was time for SECKLE to disband. They reviewed their three founding Stratagems: Stratagem 1: Create a peacekeeping group. Stratagem 2: In the case of member elimination, test, analyze, and select new recruits. Stratagem 3: in the case of dire emergency, disband and destroy the group. None of these choices, they realized, would do any good for their future. They created Stratagem 4: Remodel. And so, a week after the Mission's end, President Amy announced the unanimous decision of SECKLE and the Edwardian Congress. Operation Blele (SECKLE) would be remodeled back into VMK's original Cult of Gallifrey. The Cult would be permanently open to new recruits and would act in the interest of the people, just as the society had done for 80 years. It would command the VMK Department of Investigation and the armed forces in times of conflict. It would be initially headed by a committee of seven. The six current members of SECKLE and Nelly Blythe, their new inductee. The party continued into the next morning and Main Street never seemed to quiet itself. Fireworks exploded over the Castle and as VMK exited its turbulent stage in history, it entered its second Golden Age. It would come historically to be known as the Gilded Age. '''WHERE ARE THEY NOW? At the end of New Frontier, the Viceroys of Tomorrowland were offered positions as Senators. Viceroy Oahu would go on to become Tomorrowland's first Secretary, serving on Amy's Cabinet. Olivia and Lily retired to their old home in Space Mountain. They never really got over Kevin's death, even once the body was delivered to them. They cremated the corpse and never emerged in public life again. Lily would die shortly after the Cult of Gallifrey's revival, but Olivia far outlived her. She married Captain Edwin Eths. Niall's sixth husband's daughter inherited the family publishing business and continued Storytime. It remains the most published and purchased book in VMK. The Necromancer served the rest of his life in prison. He was occasionally visited by Deeba and Anna, who would talk to him. According to them, he seemed to recover mentally by the end of his life. On one occasion, he expressed guilt for killing Blake. But mostly, he regretted killing Madi, Jake, and Nutty Jr. He died at the age of 66 in prison. His brother, Andrew, did eventually find his way out of the simulation. Nelly Blythe had created an elaborate scavenger hunt for Andrew to complete. He found the last piece after twenty-three years. He awoke in his own prison cell, having been moved out of his brother's at behest of the warden. He went insane, eventually killing himself in his cell at the age of 50. Nelly Blythe served as a member of the Cult of Gallifrey until she became ill with breast cancer and retired to her home in Fantasyland. She was heralded as a member of the Gallifreyan family and a true citizen of VMK. She never married, but remained a dutiful friend of Deeba until she died. Amy and Nick finished their term as President and VP and retired from public life to take care of Zira. They had two more children. They died days apart at the ages of 95 (Amy) and 93 (Nick). Zira went on to become the CEO of the VMK Health Corporation. They had nine grandchildren at their time of death. Ethan and Mets served four years on the Cult of Gallifrey chief committee until Mets wanted to return to his TARDIS. Ethan joined him for what turned into a six-year trip through the galaxies. They married on the planet of Apulapucia. Simon was the best man for Ethan. Mets did not regenerate during this time. When Ethan died at the age of 88, Mets destroyed himself in grief and would regenerate into his fourth incarnation. He still roams the stars in the same TARDIS. It is rumored he is alone. Koala met a gentleman named Christian and married him. They had one daughter. Koala was the first to leave the Cult of Gallifrey, serving only one year. She cited 20 years of relentless stress as her main reason for retiring. Anna was the only SECKLE member to remain with the Cult of Gallifrey until her death at age 108. She had served VMK for nearly 80 years. She married at age 47 and adopted one daughter. She named her Madeleine. Simon proposed to Deeba three weeks after the Mission ended. Deeba readily accepted. The couple moved to Tomorrowland and bought a house near Space Mountain. They had three children, all adopted. They would remain with the Cult of Gallifrey in some form or another until the end of their lives. They died mere hours apart in a nursing home, surrounded by friends and family. Deeba Gallifreyan was martyred after death and Gallifrey Castle was renamed in her honor. To this day, VMK never forgets those that conquered the new frontier, embarked on a renaissance of the Cult of Gallifrey, and fought on the battlefield of freedom. Production Continuity and Story Arcs Arthur Marie was killed by a bus the day after the Siege of Gallifrey Estate. His death was witnessed by Anna. In "Operation Blele," Mets and Ethan describe how Operation Blele has three Stratagems. Only Stratagem 2 was detailed. In this episode, the other two stratagems were revealed. The keyword to breaking the Mission was "The Edwardian Congress," solved by forming the seven letters written on the scrolls into "Edward V." Nelly Blythe, first seen in "The Victory" and later in "Hope," was revealed to be Deeba's godmother. Top Hat was revealed to be the Necromancer's brother. References The line "What's dead should stay dead" is a reference to Supernatural. The invisible walls in the Forecourt are references to The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials. The rocks used to vote in the Edwardian Congress was a reference to Survivor and the Purple Rock Tiebreaker. The comment about Hepatitis was a reference to an Honest Trailer video about Divergent. Trivia *Gator is a fill-in for the Gator Waiter, who was unavailable for filming. Had he been available, producers would have included him in the tasks, most likely for Mets and Nick. *Gator's real name, Wally Froggat, is a reference to Joanne Frogatt, an actress on Downton Abbey who won a Golden Globe Award around the time of writing. *Though it is not explicity stated, it is highly implied that the mailman who delivered the letter to Arthur was in fact Mets the Mailman. *There was an original story arc this episode involving the public. There were three scenes total: one in which the public grew angry at the manipulated footage. A second scene depicted a growing mob at Gallifrey Castle; they would disperse in a third scene. All three scenes were cut from production. However, the first scene was cut at the last minute. *This scene featured the first "Where Are They Now?" since Ghost Genocide. Category:Episodes Category:Battlefield Episodes Category:Finales